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Marks during force work

What do most pros do with marking during force work? Do y'all continue to throw marks during force fetch if not when do you pick back up throwing marks? I've done it both ways and think it depends on the dog but just wanted your opinion since you've seen more dogs and the pros and cons of it.

Some dogs tolerate marks just fine during FF.. Many others tend to break all the acceptable standards while acquiring this skill set. If marking is breaking down the skills you're trying to build stop marking until you have standards in place to correct these errors.

Evan

"Prepare your dog in such a manner that the work he is normally called upon to do under-whelms him, not overwhelms him." ~ Evan Graham“People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.”

My dogs are marking before we start force fetch, they have no hold or delivery requirements then. Why wouldn't I continue to mark them during force fetch? Usually, two to three weeks into force fetch you can start upholding the standards for hold and delivery, but not until then.

Howard NiemiYou really gotta be careful about how high a pedestal you put your method, your accomplishments, your dog on. There's usually someone who's done more, somewhere. And they may have used a different method than you did! Chris Atkinson 2013

My dogs are marking before we start force fetch, they have no hold or delivery requirements then. Why wouldn't I continue to mark them during force fetch? Usually, two to three weeks into force fetch you can start upholding the standards for hold and delivery, but not until then.

Thank you for posting something so brilliantly common sensical, Howard.

Evan- Please explain in more detail. I am a day or two from having the same issue to confront. What marking standards at this stage do you consider inviolate.

I am using SmartWorks by the way and am very pleased so far. Another session or two of "Hold" and I will be on to ear pinch.

Glad to. If you have the SmartFetch DVD you'll note in the opening moments that I advise the trainer "By all means I think you should mark your dog." I stand by that, unless you find yourself working against the very standards you are spending 2 sessions a day trying to establish by doing it. To each his/her own. But it has always seemed unfair to work diligently to work toward a consistent set of standards, while requiring the dog to sort out why it's okay to do it one way here, but not at all okay there. If that rationale doesn't make sense to you that's fine. But holding off on marks for a week or two while you establishing standards to work with in the field has never shown a negative impact in the literally several hundred dogs I've FF'd, and has, I believe, ended up shortening the overall process by not sending mixed signals.

Evan

"Prepare your dog in such a manner that the work he is normally called upon to do under-whelms him, not overwhelms him." ~ Evan Graham“People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.”